About the Graduate School

UAA Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Alaska Anchorage is to discover and disseminate knowledge through teaching, research, engagement and creative expression.

Mission of the Graduate School

The Graduate School of the University of Alaska Anchorage contributes to the advancement of knowledge through research and instruction. The Graduate School encourages qualified undergraduates to pursue graduate study, seeks to foster in each graduate student a spirit of inquiry and a quality of scholarship or artistic excellence consistent with the highest traditions in graduate work, and prepares graduates who are able to assume the professional and scholarly responsibilities of educated persons in a free society. The Graduate School aspires to be a leading driver of high quality graduate education, dedicated to the embodiment of academic and creative excellence, resulting in scholars, researchers, and practitioners committed to and capable of continually broadening the scope of academic discourse, discovery, and innovation.

UAA Graduate School By-Laws

The Bylaws adopted by the University of Alaska Anchorage for the Graduate School are included for your reference.

The Graduate School

The Graduate School is home to all graduate students at the University of Alaska Anchorage regardless of the program you are pursing. The Graduate School is a helpful resource as you navigate life as a graduate student at UAA.

Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation at UAA The University of Alaska Anchorage has been continuously accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU - formerly the Commission on Colleges of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges) since 1974. NWCCU is one of six Regional Accrediting Associations for Institutions of Higher Education that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to 1974, UAA existed as an extension of the University of Alaska with no separate accreditation status. Since the merger of the University and the Community Colleges that occurred in 1987, this single accreditation status has applied to all campuses of UAA - in Anchorage, and at Kenai, Kodiak and in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Prince William Sound Community College in Valdez is separately accredited by NWCCU.

Program Accreditation at UAA Individual academic programs often seek verification that their program of studies and student outcomes meet national standards established by independent associations or governmental agencies. That verification is documented as a program accreditation. Students who complete an accredited curriculum enjoy additional confidence that experts in that field have evaluated the program and testified to its quality. Program accreditation may also enable students to more easily obtain professional certifications or registration.

Approximately 40 academic programs have approval and or accreditation from agencies external to UAA. A full list of these programs is listed in the 2013-2014 UAA Catalog. A more detailed list of the schedules and accrediting bodies is located on the Accreditation Links and Documents page.